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How to Unclog Your Extruder for the Creatr HS Series 3D Printer

Hello and thank you for choosing the Creatr HS for your printing needs. The solution applies to the Creatr HS, Creatr HS lite and Creatr HS XL.

The following solution will instruct you on how to unclog your extruder for the Creatr HS series 3D printer.

Safety:

Please keep in mind that due to the high temperature of the extruders direct contact between the surface of the extruders and skin may cause burns.

Tools

For the steps that you will need to take in order to unclog your CreatrHS extruders you will have to have at your disposal the following:

a pair of pliers;

a number 8 pipe wrench or ratchet wrench;

a number 2 and number 1.5 Allen key;

a needle.

Remove the Fan Duct

The first step is to remove the fan duct from the bottom of the extruder carriage.

Connect to Simplify 3D

Now connect the printer to the Simplify3D software on your computer and set the extruders to heat up to around 230-240 degrees Celsius. Wait for the temperature to stabilize and then use the retract command from Simplify3D to try and remove the filament.

Can`t Remove Filament with Retract Command?

If you do not manage to remove the filament this way your other option is as follows:

Remove the Nozzles

First you have to remove the nozzle from the extruder that is clogged you do this by using the pliers to hold the extruder in place and use the number 8 wrench to remove the nozzle as shown in the picture below Pic.1.

Pic.1

Pull Out the Extruder

Warning! The Extruders are still very hot; please take the necessary precautions to not cause injury.

The next step is to pull out the extruder by loosening the grub screw with the number 2 Allen key from top right side of the extruder (as shown in Pic.2). It is important to keep the extruder heated at this point so that it expands the metal in the heat sink properly, allowing you to remove the extruder. Attempt to gently spin the nozzle block back and forth while applying a slight downward pressure. If you find that you are unable to remove the extruder, do not continue; you could damage the extruder and the print head. Instead, contact Leapfrog Technical Support via the ticketing system (see open new ticket button at the top of this article).

Pic.2

Heat Up the Extruder and Use the 1.5 Allen Key to Unclog the Extruder After pulling out the extruder, heat it up to 240 degrees Celsius and using the pliers to hold onto the extruder so as not to have direct contact between the surface of the extruder and your skin use the number 1.5 Allen key to push through the extruder until the filament that was stuck comes out as you can see in the picture below Pic.3

Pic.3

Depending on how the filament broke you can try to remove it by introducing the number 1.5 Allen key from either side of the extruder.

Let the Extruder Cool Off

Once the extruder is unclogged you can let it cool down before you mount in back up in the carriage. Also at this point make sure to check the nozzle for residue and use a needle to check and see if the vent is clear .

Adjusting the Extruders Height

After mounting the extruder please read the following instructions from the link to adjust the extruder height.

Start Printing

Once you do this attach the fan duct, load the filament heat up the extruders and print bed and your printer is good to go.

Thank you for reading the solution and for any other issues please do not hesitate to contact our Leapfrog Support Team.